The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-10-13

er. My regiment, the 3rd, took
passage on the B. NJ. Runyan. We
arrived at Donelson on Saturday
night, Feb. s. We were met at the
river by numbers of the 53rd Tenn,
and taken 10 their quarters, and
they treated US quite Hospitality.
The 53ra was made up of our neigh
bors and friends and they were very
glad to see US. They thought the
3rd were veterans then, but al
though we had been in the service
since May 81, we were here to re-
ceive our
BAPTISM OF FIRE,
though the sregiment was
thoroughly disciplined and drilled
and all had had the measles, the in
digenous disease of camp life. The
enemy had made no demonstration
on Donelson after the fall of Henry.
On Sunday, Feb 9th, we were or
dered to get ready for inspection
and we were scattered around clean
ing our guns, which had been soiled
by the trip from Russellville. | re-
member well l was sitting on a
stump near the road that ran in the
direction of Fort Henry. Furnishing
my gun, when a hatless horseman
came rushing by crying yankees
Yankees" Old man Arbegast blew
the assembly call on the bugle an d
the Bird tell in line. We were
marched about mile to the crest of
hill which we occupied the greater
part of the time during the siege.
After hating we threw out skirm-
ishers and went IN hunt Of the enc
my. All our hearts were in our
mouths for we momentarily expec
ted the yankees. Men may talk in
times of peace what they will do in
battle, sbut no man lives who has
never been under fire can apprecl-
ate the feelings of soldier in his
first battle. The mind goes back
with the speed of light to home and
loved ones there, thinking perhaps
in a few short hours one will be q
bloody corpse, or with mangled
limbs lying On the field of carnage
helpless. 1t takes more courage
to 60 into the first fight than to
fight a half dozen battles after
wards. Our skirmish line, much te
our delight, failed to find the enc
my. The whole scare originated
from - scouting party of Giants
cavalry being ambushed by par
" of federal cavalry and stampeded
and the bravest veterans are demon
alised by being ambushed. W.
remained on the hill that night ant
on the morning of the 10th dug RI
file pits and made general prepare
ton for the enemy. We could SEE
| huge volumes of smoke down Gun
berland river, indicating that the
| enemy were not far off with theil
| river fleet. In fact,
GRANT WAS LANDING
his army below Us, preparatory t.
| his attack. I cannot remember
what troops were to our right CT
left, except Capt. Porter's Battery
rested on our regiment on oul
right, and Capt, Graves on our left
We could see all day On Wednes
day long lines of federals crossing
! q hill ABOUT two miles off, but they
| made no demonstration unit
Thursday. will nsver forget the
first hostile shell | heard burst. Ii
was to our left and we were by thai
omipops sound warned that wal
was no play, aad that be who played
the soldier had a hazardous post i
he did his duty. The fight begar
in earnest on that day. The enemy
! made assault after assault on our
lines but was repulsed at all points
with heavy loss. Captains Porter
and Evans did splendid service with
their gus. 1t showed Thursday
night and the air was very cold
yet we remained in the bitches, the
men showing splendid morale. We
had lost some of our best men, YET
the soldiers were confident they
could not be whipped. Several
men of Capt. Porter's battery were
killed and wounded by the enemy Is
sharp shooters and a detail from
the 3rd helped to work the guns
Capt. Porter himself was terribly
wounded, having his thigh shivereG
by a minnie ball. i with others hsC
a wounded man of our regiment or
litter taking him to the hospital
and was right at the battery wher
Capt. Porter fell. He was placed
on a litter and while the blood was
pouring from his shattered leg he
raised himself and
UNsHEATHING HIS SWORD
called on his men never to give uI
their guns, Capt. Porter was s
brave and chivairous man, and true
to his convictions. The battle con.
tinued with sharpshooting and now
and then an assault until Friday
night. During the time we were
fghting on land, the yankee flee
tried to pass our water batteries but
ANONYMOUSLY failed In every at
tempt. They were convinced that
land batteries we'll handled were toe
much for their gun boats. Up to
the battle of Donelson we mad s
most holy horror Of yankee iron
clads, but here it was demonstrated
that they were more terrible in
name than in fact, and if we had
then known the practical use Of
dynamite we could have destroyed
the whole yankee fleet in day
The gun GOATS after failing to pass
our batteries amused themselves
with throwing shells over into
our lines. Some of them looked
like they were as large as nail kegs
but they scared worse than they
hurt. During Friday the Negro
cooks of our regiment dug them
selves holes behind big log and
got in them to protect themselves
They found ont that there were
MORE NIGGERs THAN HOLES,
so they pied up three or four deeE
in q hole. Old Ike Suttle was 81
the bottom and New Brown on the